Last week, the Broome County Legislature approved the purchase of 80 acres of land in the Town of Binghamton, setting the stage for an all-in-one veterans service.

The county purchased the land, the site of the former Vestal Hills Country Club, for $750,000. The new facility, scheduled to open in late fall 2020, will offer veterans a number of resources, assistance with veterans benefits and the chance meet with one another all in one location.

"We have a lot of services for them in the community, but they are kind of scattered around," County Executive Jason Garnar said. "What this is is basically a one-stop shop for veterans in Broome County. It is going to be a model, I believe, for communities across the state and across the nation in how to help take care of your veterans."

The complex will offer a number of services, including the Veterans Service Agency, which assists veterans with benefits and the Department of Veteran Affairs; Clear Path for Veterans Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps veterans connect with a number of programs and resources; and the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group.

At the new facility, veterans will be able to utilize peer-to-peer services, meals, community forums, and employment and training workshops through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County and Broome-Tioga Workforce.

Garnar said the county is in the process of interviewing companies to produce the design, and will select a company at the end of March.

County officials will gather input from veterans to find out what they would like to see at the facility. The first meeting will be in early March.

The project also will include eating facilities, space for recreation, and conference and meeting areas.

Broome County has around 13,000 veterans who will be able to utilize the facility. It will also be open as a resource to veterans from other nearby areas.

The facility also will serve as a satellite campus for Clear Path for Veterans Inc., based in Chittenango.

"We're very excited to work with the Southern Tier," said Melissa Spicer, co-founder and CEO of Clear Path. "If a veteran walks into our doors, we're able to get them connected to the resources that are already in existence, and if what the need does not exist, we're there to help fill gaps. This is a great population for any community to invest in."

Last year, the project was awarded a $620,000 Empire State Development grant to go toward the construction and renovation of the project. The project is expected to cost about $3.1 million.

The former Vestal Hills Country Club in the Town of Binghamton in 2016.(Photo: Matt Steecker)

At the State of the County address, Garnar also announced the county has purchased a van and is donating it to Clear Path to use for transporting veterans to the new facility, which will be on Webb Road.

Broome County will renovate the existing club house on the property. The first floor will be renovated into office space for the Broome County Veterans Services Agency, Clear Path for Veterans Inc. and Southern Tier Veterans Support Group.

The dining area of the building will be renovated into a meeting space and activity area, and the property's existing kitchen will be restored for use.

Some of the long-term programs the facility will offer include dog training for veterans, gardening, arts and crafts, a food pantry and housing.

The county had initially considered building the project in the Town of Conklin. Garnar said the large property at the former Vestal Hills County Club became available late last year and it will not only offer a quiet and serene place for veterans, but is large enough for growth and expansion of additional programming.

"I think it's something that's going to be a game-changer for the veterans in our area," Garnar said. "It's historic, it's something that we really haven't done before that really will set the model for how communities should take care of veterans, integrate them into the community, provide services for them and support them."